MEC Activities
Since MEC registration went live on Oct 1st & since I’ve lived in Austin for a while, I thought I’d share
some things to do while you all are in town. I know many people will either be coming early or staying
late since they have a long way to travel & they might be looking for additional activities around the
Austin area. Feel free to send this along to your friends/colleagues. I imagine it’s better to make your
plans now since we have plenty of time.
Downtown Scene:
The blue line is Rainey Street which is newer with eclectic bars/restaurants made from old homes.
Definitely has a cool Austin vibe with drinking areas both indoors & outdoors. Likelihood of live music is
also high.
The Red area is a very close location for great food. You have Fogo De Chao which is a Brazilian
steakhouse & Max’s Wine Dive which is my personal favorite. They have shirts that say “Fried Chicken &
Wine, why the hell not?” & it’s some of the best I’ve had. Not only is it a great place for a drink or dinner
but they also have a Sat/Sun Brunch that’s really good (fried Chicken & Waffles anyone?).
Another place not shown but it’s just on the East side of the Convention Center is Moonshine Patio Bar
& Grill. They have good food & a very well-known brunch on Sundays.
The orange line is the famous/infamous East 6th Street. Anything from University of Texas college
students to adults looking to drink the night away. For the good old bar experience I recommend Cheer’s
Shot Bar, Shakespeare’s Pub, The Library, The Aquarium, Moose Knuckle Pub, or Casino El Camino (great
burgers). Iron Cactus is also a great place for Tex-Mex food & the Austin favorite “Mexican Martini”.
The green line outlines the Warehouse District. A little more upscale bars & restaurants. I personally like
the Speakeasy which is a great place to watch a band or hang out on the rooftop patio. There’s also Six
Lounge & Hangar Lounge if you like the rooftop/higher-end bar scene. April is great weather in Austin so
it should be pretty nice. There’s also Trulucks if you enjoy high-end seafood. Roaring Fork is also just a
few blocks up the road & has excellent food.
The Purple line shows some good places to watch live music & have a drink. There’s the famous Stubb’s
BBQ (though I’m not actually a fan of their BBQ, more on that later) which a lot of famous acts have
played. The Mohawk (great small scale music venue) as well as a few others I haven’t been to but are
well known.
Finally there’s West 6th Street. The Brew Exchange is a really cool concept & bar where the beer people
are buying determine the price. Another cool place for the Tequila coinsurer is Taco’s & Tequilas (also
does Sat/Sun Brunch) which is just south of here near Kung Fu Saloon & Molotov Lounge (two other
places to get your drink on). Benji’s Cantina is also near here & is a great place for Mexican food but at a
little higher cost.
The green line is the South Congress area. Very cool & eclectic variety of food/shopping. When people
say “Keep Austin Weird” this area of town is often what they’re referring to. If you like Italian food,
Enoteca Vespaio is very good.
That wraps up the downtown area. Just know that Austin is very casual so wear something comfortable
as the weather should be great that time of year (likely low’s in the high 60s & high’s in the upper 80s)
but Texas is an odd place in terms of weather so just bring a jacket to be safe.
BBQ:
So this is the big topic of debate in Austin. I’ve had most of these so I’ll try to give my best advice.
Most everyone will tell you Franklin’s is the best but unfortunately that comes at a price (time &
patience). I wouldn’t recommend coming here on a conference day because you’ll miss your sessions.
This is because you have to wait in line for at least an hour & they only sell the food until they run out.
So get there early if you choose them.
I’ve already mentioned how I’m not a fan of Stubbs BBQ but I think many people go there because they
just happen to be there for a concert. The same can be said of Iron Works which is right next to the
Convention Center. It’s not bad, there’s just better out there in my personal opinion.
The Salt Lick is another famous one & on my short list of places to go. There are two locations; one way
down south in the countryside (the original) & one up in Round Rock by the Dell Diamond baseball field.
Go to the original if you’re making the trip. It’s an excellent venue out in the country right next to a
vineyard. It’s also BYOB (bring your own beer) so I’ve even been there for a bachelor party (Stag Party
for my British friends) where we wheeled in our own keg & ate all you can eat (Family Style is what they
call it there) BBQ all day. Great place to carpool with some buddies & eat until you’re ready to pass out.
Its cash only out in the Driftwood (Original) location but they have ATMs.
County Line is another good one & a great place to host a party. There are a couple locations to choose
from. I like their ribs & usually go to the Lake location which is right off of 2222; a great road to drive
down & enjoy the scenery. If you have the time it’s a great day drive. (BTW, if you have the time, take a
drive along 2222 & 620 if you want some nice scenery. Mainly near the lake).
That’s really it from me in terms of BBQ. Now there are plenty of other places but it depends on what
you’re looking for. There’s places like Rudy’s or Smokey Moe’s but usually here in Austin that’s just a
lunch BBQ place because it’s quick; though I do like each of their spicy sauces.
Greater Austin Area Restaurants:
A lot to choose from here so I’ll limit it to the places I know well.
For a quick lunch I really like Torchy’s Tacos. Several locations & make sure to get the queso. If you like
spicy things then I recommend the Brush Fire Taco.
For German food & beer try Scholz Garten just north of downtown. Their Biergarten is a cool place to
hang out or to watch live music/sports.
Trudys’s has several locations & is a great place for Tex-Mex as well as the famous/infamous “Mexican
Martini”; they limit you to two so be careful ;)
For fine ($$$$) dining, my two favorite places in Austin are the Roaring Fork & Eddie V’s. Expensive but
good.
Now if you’re willing to drive a bit, I have a couple great suggestions for dining by the lake with epic
views. The Oasis & Iguana Grill. I live near each of these & they’re both a favorite of me & my wife.
However, you go to the Oasis for the view & a Margarita; the food isn’t as great as it could be. Iguana
Grill is where my wife & I frequent as it’s a little smaller with better food & a similar view. Check out
their websites for great scenic pictures. They’re each about a 30min drive from the convention center
but it’s a very scenic drive through the hills of Austin.
Other Austin Area Attractions:
If you’re into shopping there’s places all over town but the main ones are the Barton Creek Mall, The
Domain (has a Microsoft Store & Apple Store right next to each other; always thought that was funny).
Now for something a little different. If you’re getting here early or staying late, & you enjoy nature or
photography then I suggest the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. In April the Texas Bluebonnets will
be in full bloom & they also have a pretty cool nature trail there.
Another favorite spot in Austin proper is Mount Bonnell where you’ll find some amazing views of Lake
Austin. Here’s some views of the 360 bridge, Mount Bonnell, Mayfield Park, & Laguna Gloria. All about
20-30min from the Convention Center. All great places for a hike or peaceful breath of fresh air.
Speaking of the lake, a fun thing to do in your spare time is to rent a kayak or stand up paddle board on
Town Lake (the lake right next to the Convention Center).
Also, if you’re willing to brave the cold water, Barton Springs Pool will be open. It’s adjacent to Zilker
Park, where the famous Austin City Limits is held yearly.
For anyone interested in wine/vineyards or enjoying the Texas Hill Country’s views I’d suggest checking
out some of the vineyards. If you were going to rent a car & check them out then I’d suggest Grape
Creek or Flat Creek for good wine & cool atmosphere.
I’m sure I missed a lot of things but hopefully everyone can enjoy their time in Austin. It’s a great city &
we’re happy to have you!
Also be sure to check out http://365thingsaustin.com/ or http://www.austinconcerts.org/ for other
goings on or to look for which bands will be playing that week.